The Andersons add trio to Plant Nutrient Group

The Andersons has announced the addition of Anthony Goldsby, Tyler Warner and Alan Hollen to its Plant Nutrient Group.

Goldsby will serve as an agronomist while Warner and Hollen join the company as territory managers for the Professional Turf Business

Goldsby will provide product and technical support to the business and serve as a resource for distributors and customers in the golf, sports turf and lawn care industries. Goldsby comes to The Andersons from Ewing Irrigation Products, where he most recently held the position of national turf products manager. Prior to Ewing, he served as a research technician for Kansas State University’s 13-acre turfgrass research facility in Manhattan, Kan. Goldsby received his Ph.D., master of science and bachelor of science from Kansas State. He resides in Kansas City, Mo., with his daughter and son.

“We are excited to have Tony join our team and the potential he will bring our business,” says Bob Eichenberg, director of sales for The Andersons Professional Turf Business. “His diverse experience and knowledge will make him a valuable resource for our customers.”

Warner will manage the distribution of the business’ turf and ornamental products in the Southeast. Warner has more than 20 years of experience in professional turf management. He comes to The Andersons from GRIGG, a subsidiary of Brandt Consolidated, where he served as territory sales manager. Prior to GRIGG, he held manager positions with Milliken & Company and Golf Ventures, and previously served as maintenance director for several prestigious Florida golf courses.

Warner received his associate degree in turfgrass management from The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio. He received his bachelor’s in business finance from The University of Akron.

“We are very pleased to have Tyler join our team,” Eichenberg said. “His vast knowledge of premium fertility and control product solutions will make him a valuable resource for our customers.” Warner resides in Spencer, Tennessee, with his wife and three children.

Hollen will manage the distribution of the business’ turf and ornamental products in southeastern Indiana, central and southern Ohio, Kentucky, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and central and southern Virginia. A Pennsylvania native, Hollen received his certificate from the Penn State Turfgrass Management Program. He resides in Lebanon, Ohio, with his wife and two daughters.

“We are excited about the potential Alan brings to our business,” Eichenberg said. “His diverse experience and knowledge of how to use and recommend The Andersons’ products will make him a valuable resource for our customers.”

Works begins on new Clive Clarke-designed Scottish course

The new Dumbarnie Links course at Lower Largo on the south coast of Fife in Scotland – a little more than 10 miles from St Andrews – is now under construction, and EcoBunker's project team has moved onto site to begin the installation of its synthetic edging product in all of the course's formal bunkers.

The course has been designed by Clive Clark, formerly a Walker and Ryder Cup player, and a longtime BBC Television golf commentator, but now an established golf course architect based in the United States. The golf course is being built by American contractor Landscapes Unlimited.

Fife Council granted planning consent for the project in April 2018, and the construction team moved onto the site in May. Shaping of the golf holes and bunkers is already underway, and the EcoBunker team is gearing-up to finish constructing the bunkers.

Where bunkers are hard against greens, or surrounded by short grass, they will be fully revetted using EcoBunker's synthetic solution. However, where bunkers are positioned to be a transition between maintained grass and native rough, they will be constructed in a hybrid fashion, with elements of chunked, rough edge and also of revetment. Some of these natural bunkers will be quite large and are sure to be a dominant feature of this very special golf course.

EcoBunker global installation specialist Llewelyn Matthews – like architect Clark a former Walker Cup player – will lead a five-strong construction crew to build the bunkers. Matthews will be on site full time during construction, which is scheduled to last sixteen weeks and come to a conclusion in September. Project manager Paul Kimber and the team from Landscapes Unlimited will work closely with the team on the very important bunker construction.

“New links courses are extremely rare, and we are very proud and happy to be playing a major role in the construction of Dumbarnie, which promises to be an outstanding golf course that will attract play from all over the world,” EcoBunker inventor and CEO Richard Allen said. “This is one of our largest ever projects, and we are very pleased to be working so closely with Paul Kimber and the Landscapes Unlimited team to make Dumbarnie a true destination links.”

OPEI holds 66th annual meeting

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute held its 66th annual meeting in Bonita Springs, Fla., recently, focusing on messages of innovation and industry advancement.

“Our Annual Meeting is the premier opportunity for members, suppliers, vendors, and financiers to engage in a relaxed atmosphere, discuss the most important issues facing the industry today, and to do some business,” said Kris Kiser, OPEI President and CEO. “With more than 100 members, we have record levels of membership and engagement, and the Annual Meeting is the place where they come together.”

Chief among industry updates heard at the meeting, the trade association introduced its new statistics vendor, Vault Consulting, which showcased updates to the members-only program’s capabilities and categories. OPEI staff also shared the latest forecast update for key categories of equipment.

John Dunlap, OPEI consultant and former chairman of the California Air Resources Board, outlined the potential market impact of new regulatory schemes in California on the outdoor power equipment industry in the state and nationwide.

Keynote addresses from futurist Vivek Wadwha and NASA Mars Rover team leader Adam Steltzner highlighted the power of technology, teams, innovation, and exploration to advance companies and civilization.

The Board also has appointed Earl Bennett, President, Husqvarna Professional Products, to the Board.“Earl Bennett is a longtime advocate for the outdoor power equipment industry, and we welcome his perspective on the OPEI Board of Directors,” Kiser said.

Club Car launches hands-free caddie unit

Club Car has launched Tempo Walk, a new hands-free autonomous golf caddie unit that provides golfers with the enjoyment of walking the course, enhancing play and fostering health and wellness.

The new Tempo Walk offers state-of-the-art wireless technology including GPS yardage and hands-free remote control to maneuver easily around the course.

“Tempo Walk is the perfect blend of tradition and technology, bringing a new golf experience to the course; one that will excite golfers and provide a fun, healthy experience for 18 holes,” said Mark Wagner, president of Club Car. “The Tempo Walk further underscores our commitment to move the game of golf forward, particularly for the thousands of golf courses that attract a significant number of health-conscious walkers and are looking to generate a new revenue stream for their operation.”

Constructed with a durable aluminum frame, Tempo Walk contains a lithium ion battery which holds a 36-hole charge. It moves up to 7 mph and weighs 95 pounds. Additional technology features include a USB port and touchscreen tablet with GPS yardage. Traditional golf car offerings – a cup holder, cooler, divot repair and sand bottle, are also included. With a compact frame size, four Tempo Walk golf caddies can fit into the space of one golf car, another benefit for course operators.

“The Club Car Tempo Walk is a win-win. Golfers who enjoy walking the course get a caddie-like experience, and course operators get a fresh, functional and environmentally friendly cart option to offer customers,” said Susan Casagranda, the president of Torrey Pines Club Corp, one of the first courses to use Tempo Walk. “The Tempo Walk has resonated well with our golfers, and has given them a fun way to enjoy a round of golf.”

Tempo Walk complements Club Car’s Tempo Connect, the first golf car that includes both Visage Fleet Management, a connectivity platform for golf operators to simplify operations, control costs and maximize course efficiencies, and Shark Experience, the premier in-car course entertainment system exclusive to Club Car.

KemperSports selected to manage new Texas club

Roy Bechtol-designed course at Heath Golf & Yacht Club scheduled to open in fall 2019.

The Heath Golf & Yacht Club is located in the affluent city of Heath, Texas. This 787-acre lakefront, master-planned, resort-style community will offer residents more than 1,200 luxury style homes, a 27-hole championship golf course, private country club, pool, tennis courts, hotel, retail stores, hiking and biking trails, parks and an elementary school in the highly-regarded Rockwall Independent School District - all nestled on Lake Ray Hubbard.

KemperSports will utilize the company's more than 35 years of experience operating private clubs to guide Heath Golf & Yacht Club through the construction process as well as membership growth and engagement initiatives while implementing KemperSports' proprietary TrueService training program.

The 27-hole championship golf course, designed by golf course architect Roy Bechtol, adds to KemperSports' portfolio of more than 130 public, private and resort golf courses from across the U.S. and Latin America. Bechtol most recently collaborated with Jordan Spieth to design the University of Texas Short Game course that opened in 2017. Heath Golf & Yacht Club represents the company’s sixth property in the state of Texas.

The Heath Golf & Yacht Club clubhouse will open summer 2018, with the golf course opening for play in fall 2019.